Jets KR Brad Smith 'disappointed' with kickoff rule changes

Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerBrad Smith scored two touchdowns on kickoff returns for the Jets last season, in wins against the Bengals and the Steelers.

Jets kick returner Brad Smith told Sirius XM's Mad Dog Radio that he is "disappointed" with the NFL's rule changes for kickoffs, as voted on by team owners at the league meetings in New Orleans this week.

Kickoffs will be moved up five yards, to the 35-yard-line, while touchbacks will be kept at the 20-yard line and two-man wedges will still be permitted.

"It just really changes the whole dynamic of a game, one of the most important plays in football," Smith said in a spot on Sirius today. "So there’s going to be a lot of coaches that spend a lot of time trying to figure it out.”

The Jets were reportedly among the 26 teams which voted for the rule change. The six teams which voted against the change, according to reports, were Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Oakland and Philadelphia.

When asked about the Jets supporting the change, Smith told Sirius, "maybe they know something I don't." Smith, who will be a free agent, added that he expects special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff has already started drawing up new schemes.

Smith was one of the NFL's top kick returners last season, averaging 28.6 yards per return and scoring two touchdowns on returns, helping the Jets to wins against the Bengals and the Steelers in the regular season.

The changes intend to eliminate some of the game's hardest hits, as the league and players have grown increasingly conscious of player safety.

“That’s our number one goal, is player safety," Smith said. "But at the same time we don’t want the game to be affected. It’s a physical game and that’s why we love playing it, quite frankly. We love to play because we love the physical contact."